At United Repair Centre (URC), located next to the popular indoor food market Foodhallen in Amsterdam, Bakri Zaitoun is busy repairing the sleeve of a dark blue Patagonia puffer jacket.

Mr Zaitoun, a tailor from Syria who arrived in the Netherlands in 2018, is among eight refugees working as tailors at URC, which was founded last year to help extend the lifespan of clothing by fixing garments for brands and their customers.

Through a translator Mr Zaitoun explains that he has been a tailor for 25 years, but when he first arrived in the Netherlands he had to do all sorts of jobs. I asked him if it’s good to be tailoring again and he gives me a big smile.

Mr Zaitoun’s work is a small part of Amsterdam’s effort to become a circular economy.
The circular economy aims to break the link between economic activity and using up the earth’s resources. This may involve reusing, repairing, and sharing materials and products.